Our Glamorous Lifelines
by Junko's Joker
Summary: They could have met on a funeral; for all he cared, things would turn out in the same way. Ironically, their first encounter was on a wedding. AU, Slash,LxLight in which Light is a lawyer and L owns a buffet.
1. Overture:What Is This Feeling

**Edited on 07/02/2015**

_**N/A: **__All right let's do it: TAN TAN DA! Ladies and gentlemen I present you my first Death Note fanfic.I would say I'm very proud of it but actually I'm not ;-; .This a pure, crack, mindless story that emerged from the depths of my tedious mind and today I present it for you. The whole idea is to read it like a musical (?) because I love musicals; I'm really obsessed with the thing and I have to use my apparently hopeless knowledge of them or I will burst and disappear. Oh, and we actually are going to have a Death Note musical, so: why not play with the idea? So this story is just for inoffensive delightfulness with a typical, simple plot of the most mundane of musicals. It was made to bring some laughs (even though I'm not sure it is actually funny x.x) and alleviate the daily tensions of our lives. __It's a first-person narrative, the chapters alternating between L and Light'. The chapter's titles are songs from musicals and the lyrics on the beginning of every one too. The songs are actually part of the story's mood, so if you want to have a little fun out of the thing, you can listen to them while reading it._

**Disclaimer: **_What else can I say? Slash, L x Light, A lot OOC-ness, fluffy, bad jokes, swearing, shinigami's love, America's Next Top Model (even though they are in Japan)… oh gosh I don't know. I just don't own Death Note ok? ;-;_

_Please, take it lightly? It's my first shot on the fandom and english it's not my first language, but(!) I now have a wonderful, darling beta, the lovely **shewhowasnamedanyway** , who kindly accepted embarking with me on this crazy ride. Thank you so much, chum 3_

_Feedback is always important! Hate, love and hate again! Leave your reviews, sweethearts, please 3_

_~ Enjoy._

_J.J_

**xxx**

_Hands touch, eyes meet._

**xxx**

"Tell me, Ryuuzaki, what brings joy to your life?"

I stop working at the glace laces on the cupcakes; my fingers discreetly (and fruitlessly) attempting to get them straight and silently muse on the question.

"What brings joy to my life?" I repeat, letting the words sink on my tongue, feeling their flavor as I unfold their meaning before giving an acceptable answer to my interlocutor.

The said speaker, Keishi Kitamura, the wedding's groom, smiles at me, his head nodding in an incentive way.

"That's it. Why don't you tell me, pal?"

He's holding a half full/half empty glass of champagne and, assuming by his unstable balance, his flushed face and the carefree way he drawls his voice as he addresses me as "pal", he is utterly, completely drunk.

What a pity. I guess I didn't have to lose time planning my reply for the beginning of a casual social interaction.

Anything I say to Kitamura-san now will sound infinitely interesting.

That being set, I can calmly return to my previous task. My mind can easily cope with the tiny sugary ornaments and the track of his meaningless conversation. I will lay down my speech to one word per Kitamura-san's one, so I won't lose too much energy that could be extremely useful on the achievement of my present goal.

"Sweets," I respond as I accomplish a victory in one of the cakes.

He laughs unnecessarily loud at my statement.

"Well, that one I figured out already. What else, hum?"

"Books," I continue, my fingers delicately shifting another lace to the right position.

"That seemed expected, what kind of books?"

"Classics," I move to the left side of the table, aiming to take care of the other set. I write a mental memento to enlighten B about paying attention to all minimalistic details on the desserts and how this simple carefulness would allow me to not get caught in stupid interactions like this one.

Kitamura-san follows me. Oh my, doesn't he have other matters to attend to? Doesn't he have to merry- dance- go-round with his bride? Where is she, anyway?

Isn't it time to kiss her again or consume the union?

"Classics! Good! I like classics too! Have you read Shakespeare? I had to read Hamlet_ twice_ when I was in high school." The obscene laugh again."Man, let me tell you that was _traumatizing._"

I nod. I can sympathize with him.

Someone with a quarter of a brain shouldn't read Hamlet _ever,_ even less so as a _teenager._

Metaphorically speaking, I can easily identify the book as the one traumatized.

Poor, defenseless book and its once virginal pages. Nothing would ever be the same for it after being so cruelly and irrationally raped by the eyes of a true moron.

As Kitamura-san babbling goes on, my ears involuntary pick up a near, distinctive conversation; my back turned to the speakers.

"Light, you _must_ try the canapés, they are simply _divine._"

"Thank you, Ryuk, but I think I've already had enough."

"No sense. Try at least the apple tartlets. _Truly marvelous!_"

"You know I'm not into sweets."

"And I'm not into weddings either, but here I am _accompanying_ you. I could be _anywhere_ but no, I decided to not leave my friend alone in the unfolding of this horrendous ceremonial tragedy. Tell me; how many guys back in your office would stick up for you in the same way, hummm?"

"Well-"

"Exactly! None. Zero. Nada. You can't rely on lawyers. Now, don't be a diet guru for a change and go get yourself some high calories. Grab a cookie or something. Do they actually have cookies here? - Oh look, they have cupcakes. Much the same thing, it all starts with a 'c.'"

"Cookies and cupcakes are _the same_?"

"Hey, look who's talking Mister 'It's all mixed up sugar anyway'. Grab us some of this colorful, insalubrious things. I'm going to return to the coffee table and conquer more of the tartlets."

"I think you should slow down on- Oh, I'm sorry"

My fingers brush another's as we both reach for a cupcake. I feel the momentarily cool touch of a slim hand on my right palm as I grab the broken dessert before it.

"Please, try another. This one is not ready yet" I announce. I don't make eye contact with the hand's owner, my focus completely set on the remedy at hand.

"I see. The laces, hum?"

I turn around, my gaze falling upon a young brunette. He is elegantly dressed in a dark blue suit, the design rich and scandalous expensive.

His Japanese features are graced with an apologetic smile in my direction

The smile doesn't reach his eyes.

"Yes," I respond. He's more perceptive than the others. Even if I'm applying some effort in the task, I admit that the imperfections are almost invisible. A crude onlooker would never notice the difference between a rightly positioned frosted cupcake lace and a wrong one.

This resolution could be applied to more than half of the percentage in the party.

That man seemed to fit in the other percentage.

He nods, his hand reaching for another sweet, this one faultless.

"They seem to have a complicated pattern." He muses as he analyzes the cake, his pianist's fingers carefully removing the red velvet paper that serves as a support.

"The craft work of the ribbons must have taken hours to be fully completed. The chief is an extremely talented one."

"She possesses a natural gift, if I may say so." I think of A and her fairy hands. When she is in a kitchen, everything she touches becomes magical and delicious.

"An artist indeed. What flavor?"

"Coconut and white chocolate. The pink laces have strawberry essence." I say, wondering why he seems so insistent on engaging a conversation with me. This man has shown me he pursues a slight larger margin of brain cells then my previous talker but, even so, I don't find within myself the urge to avidly enroll in an interaction with him

"Hey, Ryuuzaki, are you listen- _Oh! Light!_ I didn't think you would come!"

Speaking of my previous talker, the said speaker finally noticed that I wasn't paying attention to his mindless chatter (What has he been _looking _at anyway? Couldn't he see that I have already attracted a new replacement to his former hole? Was he so inebriated with champagne that he didn't _even hear_ that I was talking to another person?). He turns his body to face the man by my side, his face lightens up at the sight of the younger one.

The brunette's lips stretch again in a charming smile, too truthful to be true.

"I honestly didn't think I would make it too, Kitamura-san."

"- And you brought _Ryuk_ too!"

"I hope it's not an inconvenie-"

"What are you talking about? Jesus, I haven't seen this guy in _ages_. Hey, ugly thing, come here!"

"What kind of _despicable mortal_ dares to call the great god of death _ugly_?" The young man's companion approaches, his scratchy voice muffled by the sounds of the disgusting munches of an apple tartlet.

He _really _is an ugly thing but, impressive nonetheless. His height easily passes the six foot mark, his slender limbs imposing. The belief that his suit can completely dress his whole body seems almost absurd.

The face is the most outrageous part of his anatomy: long, pale with big, bulging brown eyes and a scarred mouth that seemed frozen in a perpetual bizarre grin.

I know I can't consider myself a beautiful specimen but, though looking at this man makes me cogitate an audition for America's Next Top Model. The thought of myself wearing high heels and a dress doesn't appeal to me so much but, it's not a horrendous sight either. I sincerely must ponder the question with care.

"You deranged bastard, still calling yourself '_god of death_.' Tell me _shinigami,_ are you still as sharp as you were in Osaka?

"Of course I am, you dork. Unlike you, who became fat and lazy, the years only made me more beautiful and _deadly_."

"Oh Mr. District Attorney, I surely want to see tha- wait, did you call me fat?"

"Oh yeah,"

"Ryuk-sama is indeed in his best self. There isn't a case where the convicts are taken lightly by his hands."

"Yada, yada, stop fawning him so much, Light. Come on _god,_ say again to my face that I'm fat-"

"Kitamura-san I'm sure he didn't mean-"

"_You fat, obese, dirty pig!_"

"_Take back your words right now!_"

"Jesus, you're sounding like a woman. I'm only attesting the truth. If you want pretty little lies, speak with golden boy here."

"_Ryuk_-"

"Hey, _you_" I'm watching the **entertaining **scene before me, when Edward Scissor-Hands addresses me.

"Me?"

"Yes, _you_. Tell me I'm telling only the truth when I say this bloke could join the cast for the next _Super-Size Me_ movie."

I blankly stare at Kitamura-san.

"Well, not a _Super-Size Me_ level but-"

"Oh _come on_! Give my wedding buffet's man a break. He has nothing to do with it."

"_Your buffet's man_?" The man named Light inquires like he is totally befouled by the idea.

"Yes. Oh Ryuuzaki, I'm sorry, let me introduce you - Ryuk, Light, this is Ryuuzaki Rue, the manager and owner of this _spectacular _buffet."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Light Yagami." Yagami-kun states, holding out his hand. I can see by the way he stares that he had mistaken me as a simple, minor servant. He finds it unbelievable that a man with my appearance could be titled as a manager of anything; my jeans and long sleeved white shirt covered by a worn-out Wammy's blazer must seem extremely disapproving in his gaze.

I save him the effort and don't hold his hand in return.

"Likewise," I say, staring directly into his eyes. His charismatic facade fades and his eyes darken. The air tenses and the situation suddenly become oddly uncomfortable.

The sound of a loud crunch breaks the silence.

"Ryuuzaki Rue," Scissor Hands is back to his role of destructor of desserts."For real? Sounds like a fake name to me."

_"Ryuk_"

"What? Can't I even ask questions here? Anyway, I'm Ryuk Ryuuku." He extends in my direction a hand totally covered by gluey frosting. I flinch involuntary. He grins.

"_That_ sounds like a fake name to me." I say, recollecting myself.

He chuckles in mirth, "The _Ryuuku _maybe. Never met my dad and mommy was always too doped up to tell me his or her own name. The Ryuk part is pretty much real, though."

"I see"

"Oh, _please Ryuk Ryuuku_, stop with the bullshit already. Anyway, Ryuuzaki boy is really on an alias. He says his real name is too difficult to pronounce."

"Is that so?" Yagami-kun's gaze never leaves me. I'm actually annoyed by Kitamura-san's spoiled information. I want to squirm my eyes in his direction and mentally pierce him with nails but I turn to Yagami-kun instead.

"It's a foreign name. I figured it would be difficult for the Japanese to phonate."

"You actually doubt our capacity in verbalizing stranger words?"

"No, I doubt the 100% probability of everyone drawling my name right, so I choose to avoid annoyances." I spat back.

Yagami-kun coldly stares at me.

"Tell me your name."

I look at him. He is challenging, calling me out to play. He wants to defy me.

I consider abnegating the knowledge but something in his voice stops me.

I stare into his eyes.

I accept the challenge.

"L Lawliet,"

He blinks, hardly concealing the surprise that I actually comply with his request. Then his eyes glint with beguilement, his tongue reveling in the words before they escape his lips.

"L Lawliet,"

He articulates it perfectly, flawlessly. No hesitation, not a tinge of stiffness.

He says my name like a snake savoring its prey.

"That's correct," I praise him, tilting my head to the side. I stare at him for some time.

I bring my thumb to my lips. He seems taken aback by the motion, his expression suddenly confused.

I grin, delighted.

"Well done, _Light-_kun" I say, pronouncing his name by its English meaning instead of _Raito_.

His left eye twitches. I try to suppress a smirk.

"Oh Light, that was something! I can't believe you could really unravel, Ryuuzaki." Kitamura-san enthusiastically yaks, his hand patting Light-kun on his shoulders.

"What kind of phony name is that?" Ryuk furrows his brow "E-ro Rau - Shit, he is right. I can't say it."

"I wonder where the name ends and the surname begins"

"I'm with you. How do you spell it anyway?"

"It's a letter," Light-kun coolly declares.

Ryuk and Kitamura-san look at him dumbfounded.

"His name. It's a single letter. _L._ That's it. It's spelled like it is said."

I nod.

"Correct again. I'm thrilled to know that there is indeed hope for some -"

"Please, don't be, Lawliet-san," he cuts me off sharply, the name again being said impeccably.

My grin widens.

"Please, call me L,"

"L then. Now if you could excuse me," he turns abruptly from me and directs himself to Kitamura-san.

"I just caught sight of my current client and I will not let him slip away with my honorariums so easily this time." Light-kun grabs Ryuk's arm.

"_Wait, _what do I have to do w-"

"Kitamura-san, the wedding was splendid, Mariko-san was lovely. If I can't see her until the party's end please, send her my regards and best wishes." He only turns his head in my direction, eyeing me over his shoulder.

"L,"

"Light-kun" I insist in calling him that way since it seems to have a pleasant unnerving effect upon his collect demeanor. He nods at me in a gesture of cordial accountancy but his eyes are stoned, not a single glimpse of emotion in them.

Then he walks away, dragging Ryuk along, as the man protests at the unexplained reason of pulling him away from the conversation. I can hear from a distance Ryuk saying that "He doesn't care about fucking lawyers honorariums" as the pair mingles into the crowd, disappearing to some unseen place.

"That Light Yagami" Kitamura-san sighs beside me, my attention unwillingly being drawn to him. "With him, it's all about _work, work_. This guy is a real _shark_. You should have to see him in action back when he was charging my case. No one could stop him; our victory had been set in stone from the beginning"

"So, he was your lawyer?"

"Yeah. You see, this is not my first marriage. My first wife was a _monster_, our life together was unbearable and I almost died, _twice_. She made a scandal when I asked for the divorce. Thank god my old friend from college, Ryuk, is a district attorney so he knew from the field who could help on the case. At the time, Light Yagami had never dealt before with conjugal cases but he decided to give it a try. Man, let me tell you, that handsome bloke _saved my life_. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met my dear sweet Mariko and probably would be buried six feet underground, dead and with a debt of _one billion yens_ with that wicked bitch.

"Light Yagami was already a hot shot in the matters of civil cases back then, but with _my case_? The guy became an _all star_ celebrity in the Law world. The office he keeps with his other associates is the most competent in Tokyo and one of the best in whole fucking Japan. If you have them, there is no doubt you're going to win. There is no doubt too, that you're going to be bankrupt; damn aren't those bastards _expensive_."

"I see," he talks about Light-kun with flare, but I can see there is a cranky tone to his speech, like I should've known the famous man Light Yagami or something.

Well, I don't. I've never heard a single word about Light Yagami before in my life.

And I'm not eager to know more.

"Kitamura-san, I have to-"

"Keishi! Where have you been?" I'm abruptly cut off by Mariko-san's shout at a distance. We turn around to see her energetically waving at Kitamura-san.

"Come here, it's time to cut the cake"

I caught sight of one of my staff standing beside her, his hand holding a sharp knife, ready to follow orders at any moment.

"I'm coming, sweetie! _Sooo_, _Eru_, you're coming too?"

I clench my teeth at the disturbing sound of my real name being so atrociously used that I actually have to control the desire to stab Kitamura-san with my subordinate's knife.

Instead, I force an odd smile and wave my hand dismissively at him.

"Go ahead, Kitamura-san. I'm used to this type of ritual in my line of work. Now the whole thing actually bores me. Go ahead and enjoy yourself. I'm going to check the kitchen, see if everything is alright and well."

"Well, _if you say so_, see you later then." Kitamura-san happily strolled away from me and I actually sighed in relief.

Finally, I'm free of this lamebrain.

A strangely calm and sad Bossa Nova version of '_My Favorite Things'_ starts to play as the two love birds cut the first slice of their red velvet wedding cake, the melancholy melody heavily contrasting with the fairytale-like moment.

I look at Mariko-san and her face matches the lyrics; the dog is biting, the bee is stinging, there is some sadness but she smiles as she gazes at her husband, thinking of her favorite things.

Then she won't feel so miserably bad.

As I make my way to the kitchen, I hum along to _The Sound of Music's _tune wondering how many months (or days) will pass before Light-kun's services will be needed again.

**xxx**

"Do you think all went well, L?"

A asks me as I help her pack up her chef's utensils. The party is at its end; it's time for us to leave.

I look at her, taken in by her big blue eyes and distraught expression as she bites her lip. A is probably one of the best chef's in the world, easily surpassing Wammy and, even after all these years, she still can't help but feel insecure every time we finish a job.

"Perfectly, A, flawless as always,"

"Are you sure?" Her voice skips as she speaks, biting her lip harder.

"Certainly," I try to reassure her, putting my hand on her back but the attempt of comfort becomes weird and clumsy. I'm not good with physical contact, even less with words of ease. Wammy is the man for it; Beyond and myself are a complete failure in that aspect.

Strangely, she moves closer to me, my hand on her back now on her shoulder, the comforting gesture becoming an awkward embrace. She looks so small in her white uniform and matching apron, the clothes too much big for her.

"Thank you," she sighs in relief, feeling the heat coming from her body as it is so extremely close to mine.

I cough a little uneasy, giving a few pats to her shoulder.

"Hum. That's ok. Anytime you need," I carefully remove my arm away from her, putting some adequate distance between us.

"We are a team, after all. Right?"

She seems upset by my withdrawal but I choose to ignore it for the sake of my personal convenience. Lately, A has been craving a lot of closeness from me.

"Right," she answers, looking around the kitchen. "Where are the others anyway? We are the only ones here. They should be finished with the saloon already."

"Yes, I think I'll go to check up on them." I declare, happy that I found an excuse to leave the precinct.

"Do it, please. Oh, and see if you can find Beyond. We are leaving soon; I don't want to lose time looking out for him."

"Understood,"

"Thank you, L. You're the best," she gives me a smile so warm that it could melt an iceberg.

I'm actually feeling very attacked right about now.

I grunt a hasty "you're welcome" and leave the kitchen as fast as I can. In the main saloon, I can see that things are mostly done; the tables are cleared, the ornaments already having been taken off and the remaining food is savagely grabbed by the gluttonous last guests who want to prolong the banquet for a week.

I approach one of my staff boys. I'm ordering him to gather the others and go to the kitchen when a commotion in the front main entrance attracts my attention.

"Ryuk, let's go,"

"_No, no, no, no_. I'm not going, not just yet, the party has just start-"

"It's the end of it, Ryuk, we are one of the lasts. There isn't any more music and all of the groom's familiarities have already left. Please, don't embarrass me more than you already have."

"_But I don't want to gooo_. And _how_ will we go, _exactly_? I doubt the taxi that brought us is already he-"

"Matt came to pick us up. He is already outside."

"_Mail?!_ _You called Mail Jeevas to pick us up_?! _Why_? I don't want fucking _e-Mail_, I _want_ Rem."

"Rem is in Germany, Ryuk-"

"Fuck Germany, I _want to speak_ to that _damn wicked woman_. Call her now, I want to say a few things to her."

"Ryuk, I think she has already stated that she doesn't want-"

_"Screw what she doesn't want._ Screw her and the endless list of things _she doesn't want_. I want to take those things out and light a _goddamn_ fire with them, then piss and shit all over it. _Now_, call my damn _fucking_ wife. I'm her husband and I want to talk to her!"

"_Oh my god, Ryuk, stop it._ I think the _whole world_ heard you."

"I want them to hear it. Give me that phone Yagami_, I want to speak with my wife_! Can you hear that from _Germany, _Rem?! _I want to speak to fucking you!"_

A very drunk Ryuk is being half carried, half dragged by a helpless Light Yagami, very much pissed off with his companion's behavior and very much clueless on how to carry a whining giant dressed in gala.

Ryuk's endless complaints suddenly tone down and become sobs, as he keeps moaning about his wife.

"_You witch_, you are so cruel. _I love you_, you know. _Damn you_, _why did you leave me?_ I want you back, fucking ugly bitch. What is of a god of death without his _goddess_? I promise I'll be a better man. I won't make jokes anymore about your plastic surgeries. I just think you look worse with them, but you are so _beautiful_. I will say it looks fine, but please, _please _come back to little miserable _ol' meeeee._"

"_Ryuk,_ oh-" Light-kun trips and is about to fall, taking Ryuk along, but I move faster and run to catch him and Ryuk's arm, keeping their balance.

Light-kun is astonished by the fact that he didn't complete his fall and when he sees that it was_ me_ who saved him, he seems completely befuddled.

"L-?"

"Shall I help you with him to the car?" I ask. I can see he is deliberating if he will accept the offer or not. A sudden grumble comes from Ryuk's stomach and the man throws up on our feet.

We both wrinkle our nose in disgust.

_"Please,"_

"All right, let's do it."

Our walk to the car is clearly an embarrassing one and I'm glad nosy Kitamura-san and his wife have already taken their flight to wherever their honeymoon is. The remaining guests are too busy with their own matters, so nobody will stick an uninvited nose into this awkward affair.

The only ones in sight are the security guards. They help us with Ryuk, clearly accustomed to this type of situation.

We make to a black sedan parked near the entrance, the back seat's door already opened. The windows are blacked out and closed. I can't see the driver.

The guards let us rest a little and launch Ryuk into the car like he's a rag doll. His whimpering and crying about his wife doesn't stop.

"_Rem, my sweet Rem, please no-"_

"Thank you, guys," Light closes the door with a heavy 'bam.'

"You were really a huge help."

The guards smile, saying that "it was nothing" as they bid us farewell and return to their original posts.

We keep staring at them even after they're gone, an uncomfortable silence falling upon us.

We don't move and I mentally count the seconds until one of us breaks the stillness.

_Five seconds._

_Ten seconds._

_Twenty._

When I reach half a minute, Light-kun decides to do the honors, turning to me.

"Thank you, L,"

He says it flatly, not as displeased and unwillingly as I expected, and not like he meant it ether.

I feel just a little aloof satisfaction in the fact that he actually thanked me.

I smile at him, the exact one I know will annoy.

"You're welcome, Light-kun,"

Then I hold out my hand to him.

He looks at it, eyebrows raised. He seems hesitant (probably thinking of refusing, out of vengeance) but, after some thought, he takes it and our palms join in a grip.

We stare into each other's eyes. Waiting. Expecting.

Daring.

"It was a pleasure," I say as we shake hands.

"Indeed." He let go of mine first. Light-kun drifts away, heading to the direction of the passenger's seat .He opens the door and, before entering it, he turns his head to me, our eyes locking again.

"I'm sorry for, ahem, _anything._" he says awkwardly, indicating my dirty shoes, stained by Ryuk's vomit.

I shake my head dismissively.

"It was nothing really,"

"I see," Light-kun mutters. He stares at me one last time, as if trying to take a mental picture of myself, his eyes absorbing everything in a sturdy, analytical way.

"Let's hope we meet again someday,"

Then he closes the door, saying something to the driver while he does it. The car starts to pull away from the coasting, running along the street asphalt as it disappears and leaves me completely and utterly alone.

I watch it go for sometime before I turn myself back to the main entrance.

A man is waiting for me there, his arms folded, his body leaned back on the wall. I recognize him as B, my almost mirror image, and nod at him.

He nods back.

"So, everything ready?" I ask as I approach him.

"Yep. A is waiting for us,"

"Where have you been? I looked for you everywhere. We had a problem with the cupcake's frosting."

"I know. That's why I disappeared," he deadpans.

"That was distressing, you know. I would appreciate it if something like that didn't happen again."

"Yes, sir," he says monotonous. I sigh. There is no winning with Beyond.

We make our way to the saloon.

"So tell me, who was the man you were talking to?" B casually inquires. He looks at my shoes, raising an eyebrow.

"He seems to have left you a present."

"This belongs to his much ill-mannered companion."

"All right then. But, tell me, who was he, really?"

"Someone I met," I open the kitchen door for B and he looks at me.

I stare back at him.

When he realizes that he wouldn't get anymore from me, he shrugged his shoulders, passing by me and entering the cuisine.

"Ok, then he will be Mr. _Someone you met._"

I nod, following him in. As I close the door, I silently mutter to myself.

"And I hope to never meet again…"

**xxx**

**_N/A:_**_ Love it? Hate it? Next chapter, Light's POV :)_


	2. Act I:What Is This Feeling Reprise

_**N/A**__: Greetings, fanfiction-mites! Chapter 2! Oh, I'm so thrilled with the follows, really. Thanks so much to all of you who had favorite/followed/reviewed. Please keeping expressing your opinions, they really matter! This chapter is actually divided in two parts, since it would be too long if I used a whole one. This is the first part; Chapter 3 will be the second part, so you'll be continuing with Light's POV, right after the end of this one. Thank you, __**shewhowasnamedanyway**__ for the suggestion!_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Slash, L x Light, side pairings lot of OOC-ness (from __**every **__character in the chapter, you've been warned), bad jokes, Game of Thrones (though I didn't even see the show myself, yet),fluffy, musical, classical music (I love the song mentioned in the story ,but I really think it doesn't fit a funeral). I don't own Death Note, but I would like if Scott Synder owned a little bit of it: the guy just know how to get a good nemesis-love on the run_

_**Story edited by:**__ The wonderful __**shewhowasnamedanyway.**_

_Hate, like, love – tear me apart!_

_~ Have fun!_

_J.J_

**xxx**

_Ev'ry little trait, however small  
Makes my very flesh begin to crawl_

**xxx**

"Don't you think she looks terrible? I mean, _really _terrible?"

I turn to Mello and give him and odd look.

"Mello, she has just lost her husband. Of course, she looks terrible."

We've just attended the funeral of our former client, Kuro Sunohara. After a tedious but supposedly, heartbreaking ceremony, we are now gathered at the Sunohara's Manor to pay our respects to the widow.

The aforesaid woman is in a rampage of tears; her face a mess of disheveled hair, smeared black mascara and red lipstick. She's been sobbing uncontrollably since the funeral and I think her whimpers can be heard in a ten mile ratio.

"I know. But that's _it_. It's just a husband. It's not her son, daughter, dog or anything" On my right side, I feel Mello rolling eyes in annoyance. "I don't think she even _liked_ him very much. Isn't he the one who smelled like rotten onions or something?

"I don't know. Kiyomi was the one who dealt with Sunohara. I've only talked to him a few times over the phone."

"I bet he was. I remember her spraying some lavender scent every time the guy walked out of her office. Ask her; she'll know what I'm talking about. Anyway, his death is not such a big deal. Husbands, wives; they are just replaceable. She'll get another one."

"Husband or wife? I actually doubt that she'll get _any_ of them." I hear Near flatly states on my left, holding a glass of wine "She does look terrible and not just out of mourning."

I turn my gaze to Reiko Sunohara. Besides the ruined hair and makeup, she wears a horrible silk black dress that clings to her obese figure in an ugly and deformed way. It's obscenely short too; it stops at the middle of her tights, the length not even approaching her bare knees. I can see too much of her pale, old, and flaccid skin. The sight is truly hideous.

"And the dress doesn't praise her. _Not at all._ What was she _thinking_? I mean, look at her; she looks like Shamu in a Halloween costume. It is actually a _cape_, there?" Mello squints his eyes at Reiko, noticing that there was, indeed, a matching black silk cape that hung by her shoulders, covering her bare arms. "_What. The. Hell_. Why does she _think_ she will need a _cape_? Will she stand up and fly at any minute?"

"You said it, she is Shamu dressed in a Halloween costume. Maybe she can't do the jump tricks by her own means and needs a cape. After all, gravity doesn't seem to be on her side." Near nodded.

"Does she even _think_ this could be classified as pretty? _Fashion_? Oh god. I bet that guy cheated her as many times as possible; she actually deserves it. _Disturbing little obese bitch_ – Hey, tell me, where did you get that drink, Near? I'm honestly in need of some"

Near sips his wine and wrinkles his nose in disgust.

"Don't bother searching for it. Cheap and awful,"

"Oh _great_. What an _outstanding_ event you brought us to, Yagami. Shamu and cheap blood-colored piss undercover as wine. I feel like I'm in Disneyland."

"Don't forget the bad musical taste. They were playing Mozart's Requiem at the burial."

"_Yes_. How people still have the nerve to put this song in a funeral?"

"Extremely inappropriate,"

They both nod their head in agreement. I feel my nerves twitching.

"You know, I truly find it so _endearing _the notion that, the only time you two can _actually_ stop _fighting _is when you _team up_ against _me_. Lovely really," I glare at them, "and if I may enlighten those dirty little mind of yours, we are here to maintain the image of union and integrity of our office. We vow a duty to our clients that passes beyond the cases we're assigned with. Even when our services are not needed anymore, this bond shall last. We need to show our faithfulness, compassion and eternal loyalty for whatever cause may come their way". I'm actually reciting here one of the many lines I used on Kiyomi when we were in college and I needed to impress Miss To-Oh. If I wanted to get under her grandfather's good sight, the former and great District Attorney, Yuruzuyu Takada, I needed some pretty rhetoric on my sleeves

"_Otherwise_, I wouldn't, in a _million years_, bring _any_ of you. For Christ Sake, I wouldn't have come either." I continue. I suddenly remember the show Ryuk put on at the wedding two months ago. I internally flinch in disgust at the memory, wondering if my present companions would create a similar disaster.

The headaches are starting. I bring my hand to my temples, trying to sooth the pain.

It's no good.

"_Oh god,_" I sigh, closing my eyes "I feel like I'm getting too old for this. Do you think anyone heard the quantity of bullshit you two chattered and prattled on the last few minutes? I really don't have luck with companions: you only cause me grief and shame."

"You _actually_ know how to _grieve,_ Yagami? I'm touched. _Who_ would have known?" Mello brings his hand to his mouth in mocking gesture of shock. I can see by his face that he is repressing a laugh.

"That was an inspiring speech, Yagami-kun. I'm really moved. Do you want me to light you a candle or something? You know bring some _light_ to your face?" Near deadpans.

This time, the ridiculous joke gets to Mello and he bursts out in a huge laugh. Everyone in the room (except the widow who is still drowning in her mourning) turns to look at us and I don't know where to hide my face.

I'm not here. I'm Casper and I'm a friendly ghost. I don't know them. You can't see me, I'm a lovely bag of pure ectoplasm. I don't know them and I don't take drugs. They are not with me. I don't know them. _I don't._

When the laughter stops, Mello shoots the curious spectators a murderous glare, his face deadly serious. They quickly turn their backs and return to mind their own business.

The headaches increases. I'm _definitely_ not _here_.

Mello turns to Near, his face expressionless.

"God, Nate, _stop it_. I hate you and you are not funny. Please go away to someplace and die."

"You're welcome, Mihael. I'm always willing to _brighten _your day."

"I _loathe _you both." I hiss, and I'm mentally picturing myself dancing and howling above their very dead corpses when I catch a glimpse of the current time on my wrist watch.

Oh. _Shit_.

"We better hurry. If we don't leave soon, we're going to be late to the theater."

"And we're _late_. I'm telling you Yagami, this only keeps getting better-"

"Cut it, Mello. Where is Matt? I'm sure he was here not too long ago. We have to find him."

Near turns to our blond companion.

"Where is Matt, Mello?"

Mello tediously stares back at him.

"How should_ I_ know? He must be smoking somewhere, for all I care."

"Oh, I _do_ think you should know."

"_Why_ would you possibly-"

Suddenly a woman dressed in an elegant black, tailored suit storms into the room, walking straight to us. The guests don't even dare to look in our direction, the image of Mello's glare still too fresh in their minds to actually make them think twice before risking it all.

Halle looks like a furious war goddess in Prada high hills when she approaches us.

"_What the hell_ are you three _still_ doing here? Amane _won't s_top calling me. We are late." She growls, her voice low and threatening.

I feel again the urge to crawl under a rock and start all over the never ending mantra about how I don't know any of them. Instead I answer Halle with a surprisingly calm voice.

I'm trying my best to control the sharp pain in my brain.

"We don't know where Matt is."

Halle stares at me for a few seconds.

Then she turns to Mello.

"Where is Mail, Mihael?"

Mello makes such an outrageous expression that it would be actually humorous if I wasn't controlling myself from murdering him.

"_Again_, how the _fuck _should _I_ know? What's up with you people? I'm not his babysitter, it's not my fault that-"

"No, Mihael. It is your fault. It's always _your_ fault." By the way Halle speaks and glares at Mello, I think I can grant her the pleasure of executing him in my place.

"_What the hell_? Go get lost, Bullook. I thought we were at a _'blame it all on Light Yagami'_ day; I refuse to become the guilty one here. Near, control your psycho girlfriend."

Near sighs so deeply that I wonder if he actually felt pain in the process.

"_What _do you expect_ m_e to do, Mihael? Halle, how do you want me to control you? Can I slap you? Bite you? Can I blindfold you and tape you to a chair? Do you want me to use a whip? Handcuffs? Can I put on some kinky sex music while we do it on the carpet? I know you appreciate _Beyoncé_. Come on, put on some silk &amp; lace in black and red, _I'm going to ride you 'til I break you." _

An abnormal silence follows and we all stare at Near. He casually sips his shitty wine, his face unaffected.

…Alright, that was _disturbing_.

"_What are you talking about? Nate_!" Halle actually shrieks, her voice rising a few inches. Her face is deeply flushed, a mixture of horrendous shock and endless shame.

Mello is just in shock, his mouth agape.

"_What the f- wait_, why didn't you deny it? You two are actually _together_? Oh god, that's _gross_, Near,"

"What do you want me to say? You don't want me to date her? I find Halle an attractive young woman, and the idea of seeing her in black silk and lace is extremely appealing me."

"Nate, _stop it-_"

"I _knew_ you were a _disgusting little pervert_, Near. I knew it, _I knew it_. I was just waiting for you to drop the facade and reveal your true _twisted, bastard face_. I know Halle's a _bitch_, but to _actually_ fall down on your level-"

"_Mihael_, I'm still _here_ if _you_ didn't noti-"

"Dating Halle really disgusts you that _much_? Are you jealous? Would you prefer if I dated somebody else? Do _you_ want to date _me_?"

"_Not even in hell_! Don't say such _obscene_ things wearing this _ridiculous _poker face of yours. Oh, I _so want_ to break every _damn inch_ of it-"

"Mihael, _calm down_-"

"Really? Because I think you must like me on some degree. Weren't you laughing at my joke a few minutes ago? Matt won't be very pleased to hear you've been flirting around-"

_" Fuck, Near just stop_! Do you have the nerve to call that thing a joke? I laughed out of your own misery. Shut your _goddamn _mouth you mutant. _Shut up shut up shut up_ -"

"Mello, I wonder, how _can _you be so _childish_ -"

"_Enough both of you,_" I bark, finally losing grip. I feel my face hardens as the piercing pain gets the best of me and strikes right through my head, exploding. I'm seeing red and everything _burns. _

The familiar voice in my mind starts to whisper and _oh_, it's fire, flames, storms, thunder; _fury._

I must look awful, because they indeed stop, both looking taken aback by my reaction, the sudden burst unlikely and odd. Dangerous.

Halle is disconcerted too, her eyes avoiding anything but the ground and I don't know if it's because of me or because of the previous nasty exchange between the two devils.

I take a deep, cool breath. I close my eyes and count to 3.

1, 2, _3_

_Calm down Light, calm down._

I snap them open again.

Better. _Better._

"Ok. Good. Listen, I'm going to look out for Matt. You three stay here and show Reiko-san our condolences as quick as possible. I want to be out of here in less than twenty minutes and arrive at the theater in time for the haunted mansion scene."

The three of them stare at me silently for a while, all hesitant of what to do or say. Then, Mello breaks the tension, inquiring.

"Haunted mansion? Which musical are we seeing?"

"_Rocky Horror Show,_" I answer him. I feel myself cooling down, my vision coming back to normal. The pain in my head is completely gone.

The voice in my mind a million miles away.

"Oh, _right_," Mello says. Then he furrows his eyebrows, confused. "Wait, what _day_ is today? _Oh my god_, it's _really_ Halloween? We are really attending a funeral whose soundtrack is Mozart's Requiem and there is Shamu in an immoral dress on _fucking Halloween_? Dude, that's _macabre,_"

"That explains a lot." Near utters, thoughtful, "Now, I wouldn't worry missing the first scenes of the musical, Light. We already have our overweight Dr. Frank N. Furter here, I'm just expecting she will start singing _Sweet Transvestite_ and- _Oh, Sunohara-san_! We're so sorry for your loss."

I turn around and Reiko Sunohara suddenly has approached us, her miserable figure looking even worse up close. She seems to be at ease, unsure of what to say in response to Near's condolences. At least, she tries to smile, a hundred tiny little freckles appearing at the corners of her mouth when she does it, giving away the years she desperately tries to cover with the makeup and the dress.

Oh yes, and the _cape._

"Uh, thank you. Please, forgive me, I think I should know you but I'm only familiar with Takada-san and Yagami-San-"

"Reiko-san," I take her hands in mine, putting the best sorry face I could muster, and her palms cold and sweaty against my fingers. "You're husband was a great man. I didn't have the pleasure to interact with him as much as I wanted to but I deeply admired him. Please, Reiko-san be strong and honor his image."

She gasps and I know she is on the verge of tears again, her voice croaking as she tries to conjure her thankfulness and how Sunohara-san so admired and respected me too-

-And this little show would be rather touching if she _hadn't _justmoved so inappropriately _close_ to me, her enormous chest touching the front of my suit.

I cough, putting my hands on her shoulders and gently pushing her away. Widows. Even in grief, they remain horny as ever.

Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be bothered by my repealing gesture, her attention now falling upon my companions, her gaze timidly shifting between them.

"Do you all work with Yagami-san?"

I raise an eyebrow to them, hoping that they would see the perfect opportunity arising.

Near gets it first.

"That's correct, Sunohara-san. Please, I do hope you can forgive us. We should have introduced ourselves back at the funeral, but we were unsure how to do it without being a nuisance in such a delicate moment. Now I think it's the perfect time to make our acquaintances: I'm Nate River and the gentleman by my side is Mihael Keehl. We both work as lawyers at _Yagami and Takada_. This lady is Halle Bullook one of our office's private investigators. I hope you don't mind our presence here. When we found out what happened, we insisted to come with Yagami-sama-"

"We believe we have a duty towards our clients that pass beyond the cases we are assigned with. We want to show our eternal promise to the ones who truly and faithfully trusted us, relying on our services when the times were just too difficult to be handled alone." Mello heartily states, blatantly quoting what I said, while adding some sentimental crap he came up within the last minute.

Reiko stares at them like they were angels from heaven above. Halle lays her hand on the widow's shoulder, the motion looking both elegant and endearing. She locks her blue, cat-like eyes on Reiko's.

"Our feelings are with you,"

-And I can tell the woman is long gone. She's completely under their spell. The bastards know how to be charming when it's needed.

I wonder if they learned that from me.

Reiko leans her head on Halle's hand, the sobs starting again. Halle embraces her, comforting, patting her back while Mello and Near hang around, whispering soothing words to the widow.

I don't miss the chance. I subtly sneak out of the room, unnoticed by the crying Reiko and head on my way in search of Matt.

The mansion is hugely crowded. I don't think I've seen so many people gathered together in a funeral before. I make way through the corridors, doing my best at dodging the guests. Some men dressed as waiters doing the same thing, the silver platters dangling precociously from their hands, champagne and rich, colorfully orchestrated appetizers upon the trays.

Rich people. Even in grief they have to show off their wealth. I wonder if the family finds the hiring of an expensive buffet for the burial as a sort of token to Kuro Sunohara, even if the poor bastard won't have a chance to appreciate the banquet.

A waiter passes close to me and I get a better look of the appetizers. The smoked salmon and caviar canapés strikes a chord in my mind. The way they are delicately arranged, the thin layers of salmon gracefully folding the tiny amounts of caviar placed on the middle of the tostones, a simple and yet calculated pattern, seems oddly familiar to me.

As I muse where I have seen the appetizers before, I walk past a room where I catch sight of Kiyomi and Mikami, both talking to a middle-aged man dressed in an old-fashioned suit.

Normally, Kiyomi and I tend to attend the events together that concern our clients, keeping the image of the perfect associates, true comrades whose partnership goes beyond business. But lately, we haven't been faithful to this ideal, with Kiyomi increasingly choosing to exchange my company for our mutual friend's one, the District Attorney Teru Mikami.

I stop and gaze at them for a few moments. They are standing side by side, so close that their shoulders are almost touching. Mikami impeccable, in a dark gray suit. Talking softly to the gentleman before him, one hand resting in his pocket while the other hangs freely by his other side, though not an inch apart of Kiyomi's own hand.

She looks exquisite in her marine dress, the classic design fawning her beautiful figure. She is smiling, her lips curving charmingly upwards, the lipstick that covers them contrasting perfectly with her complexion. She holds a glass of wine in her right hand, the one which is not close to Mikami's.

They don't want to show it, but I can see, even from a distance, their fingers touching, caressing subtly and quietly. Discretely, their fingers interlock.

They look good together; a pretty young couple. They fit, like two pieces on a puzzle. Something shines on Kiyomi's finger and I'm sure it's a ring.

I grin. They look _great_. Two pieces perfectly connected. Two pieces on _my _puzzle.

My plan is unfolding sweetly and perfectly, just as I expected it to.

Then, something sharp suddenly hits me on the head, interrupting my trail of thoughts. I turn around, diverting my gaze from Kiyomi and Mikami, searching for whatever abruptly struck me.

"Oh, pardon me," says a voice whose owner seems to be already distancing from me.

At first, the only thing I see is someone carrying a silver tray. The pain from the hit makes my vision blurry and, in my confusion, I involuntary reach out for my aggressor's back, grabbing his/her shoulder. The person stops with the motion, turning around to face me. When my vision comes back to normal, I can finally make out who it is.

Oh. _Oh_.

I should have known better when I saw the appetizers. Now, I recall _exactly_ when I came upon them.

I know him.

He is someone hard to forget.

"_L_?"

He looks unaffected by the mention of his name, a blank look in his eyes as they dart up and down and I don't know if he's trying to recognize or analyze me, like he is a scientist with an interesting subject at hand.

There is something rather odd with his eyes, and when they lock with mine, I know just what it is.

He is not L. The resemblance is extraordinarily, but I would never forget the two black abysses the man had for eyes. Even after two months from our last encounter, they are still bored in my mind.

This one here has a pair of deep scarlet-toned brown orbs. They are impressive but, even so, they don't defy me. They don't challenge me like those ominous black pit pools did.

Suddenly, the man's eyes glisten with glee and he smiles at me.

Well, the smile is pretty much the same creepy thing that was L's.

"_Mr. 'Someone L met'_! What a surprise and a pleasure! You're even more handsome at close capture."

I give him a confused look. '_Mr. Someone L met'?_

"Do I know you?-"

"No, but I know _you_ and that's what matters. Really, what a _small_ world. Tell me did you know the corpse?"

He seems an off balanced kind of person, staring at me in a manic way that looks even crazier than I thought L looked. I decide to go along with him, for the sake of not stepping on the wrong crack and he …Well, I _honestly _don't know. Goes berserk on me? Stab me in the back? I can picture him easily attacking me with a knife, _Psychosis_ soundtrack playing in the background.

"Not so well, he was one of my partner's clien-"

"You know what I think? It doesn't matter if you know someone or not. It doesn't matter if you know what it likes, what it dislikes, if it eats Thai food or has a brother with a second thumb in his hand, instead of a middle finger. It doesn't matter if you know where it lives, where it works, where it likes to spend the weekends or even if you know its name-" he speaks meanderingly, the words flowing out of his mouth in a breathless rampage. Then he stops and I wonder if he is catching his breath.

But he doesn't. Instead, his face hardens and his eyes become expressionless.

"They're just _corpses_. _Living corpses_ while they are living, _dead corpses_ when they turn dead. They are not _real_; _nothing _in this world is _real._ Life is just a joke and death is the final punchline¹. Wouldn't it be_ nice_ if we just stopped wasting our precious, _worthless_ little lives and just get to the final cut? To finally find the true selves we've been _desperately s_earching for: numb, rotten, meaningless _corpses_." He states, eyes frozen. I stare at him expecting it to be some kind of dark attempt at humor but he seems serious enough.

"I-" I start to say, not sure _what_ exactly, but I feel like he is expecting me to respond to his morbid monologue.

But he cuts me off immediately just as I begin, his face turning back to normal; the easy smile returning to his face.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat a little more with you. I _really_ do. But you see-" he points at the empty silver tray at his hand, "-I'm in my waiter self today and I need to refill the stocks. So, farewell '_Mr. Someone L met'_! See you around," and then he turns his back to me and merrily strolls away.

"Wait!" I shout, trying to reach him. I follow his figure down the hall, trying to keep his quick pace as he skillfully avoids the people on the way, while I clumsily bump into some of them on the other hand.

I'm not sure _why _I do it; _why_ I chase this L look-a-like in a waiter suit on a dead man's mansion, trying not to miss the back of his disheveled black hair among the funeral's guest. I don't know why I do it when I have Near, Mello, and Halle waiting for me. I don't know why I do it when I haven't found Matt yet. I don't know why I do it when I have to leave this place as fast as possible if I want to make it in time to see _'Damn it, Janet'._

But I do it, nonetheless. Curiosity always got the best of me.

He turns abruptly to the left, entering a kind of pool room (_How_ many _rooms_ does this mansion have?) and I follow him in, passing the door and-

Diving straight into his back.

"_Ouch_." I groan, my chest hitting him hard.

I step back, straightening myself. I fix my suit and tie while I tap him irritably on the shoulder, trying to get his attention, wondering why the hell he stopped so suddenly.

"_Hey_, why did you do that?" I ask, but he ignores me. He is frozen in place and, when I touch his shoulder, I feel it is tense. He seems to be staring transfixed at some spot, like he is in some kind of spell.

The silver tray slips from his hand and lands heavily on his foot.

He doesn't seem to mind.

I try again to attract his attention, moving myself so I can be right in front of him.

"If you didn't notice, I'm talking to _you_-"

"Light?" A familiar voice cuts me off and I turn around immediately to face its owner.

It has been _ages_ since I heard her voice.

"_Misora-san_?"

She must have approached me when I was distracted, her figure now so close that I can smell the bittersweet perfume she wears. Her long dark hair is pulled back into delicate hairstyle, a lily flower clip adorning it beautifully. She is dressed in a black Chinese dress that goes beyond her ankles, stopping just a bit up her high heeled sandals. The dress is a perfect fit, no sleeve, and it a slit that starts bellow her toned thighs; showing some of the white, milky skin of her legs, the sight at the same time sensual but extremely decorous on her. She doesn't have a single tingle of makeup on her face and I think she looks fascinating, even more alluring then I remembered her to be.

It's really her. It's really _Naomi Misora_. I still can believe it.

"It's been such a _long_ time. Oh, my how you've grown up. It seems like it was just yesterday when you were an eighteen year old boy, just entering college and now _look_ at _you_: what a handsome young man you've become." She smiles, her mouth shut and her lips curling just a little bit at the tips.

I had forgotten how I used to find this little smile of hers so charming.

"You look great too, Misora-san. You _always_ were; but it seems that those 10 years haven't scratched an _inch_ of you."

"Why, _thank you_; but if you still call me _Misora-san_, I'll start to think you are _lying _about my aging. We're both grown adults now, call me Naomi."

I smile at her. The name always fit the owner perfectly².

"It's really surprising to meet you here, of all places." She continues, and I'm about to say that I find it surprising too and I want to ask her where she's been, what she's been doing, why is she here when 10 years ago she had moved to the USA to marry her fiancé- but her gaze is already shifting, slowly falling upon the man behind me. Her smile fades and her face acquires an unusually vacant look.

I follow her gaze, my eyes landing on the unmovable L look alike.

I had completely forgotten about him.

He seems to have forgotten about me too, because his eyes pierce through me as if I don't exist, his attention completely fixated on Naomi.

I guess I'm not the only one surprised to see her here.

To say he is shocked would be saying too little; the man is _completely _dumbstruck, his scarlet-toned eyes bigger than ever, his lips pressed so tightly against one another that I think in some time it will draw blood. He looks like a statue, though I can tell the guy is breathing.

He's actually hyperventilating.

Then Naomi speaks, stone eyes staring back at him.

"Hello, Beyond,"

At first, I'm confused by the English word, not working out that it is actually his name. But when Naomi pronounces it, perfectly and without an accent, he blinks, reacting to the call, his mouth opening and closing, like a fish yearning for water.

Then he suddenly stops the motion, his mouth now agape like he is trying to conjure something. He is definitely going to speak, the words are forming at the back of his throat, ready to be released at any moment-

"GAH!"

-And _that's_ the only sound he manages to utter.

I blink.

Naomi sighs.

"It's been a while, I-"

"_WhatareyoudoingherewherehaveyoubeenIneverthoughtIwouldmeetyouagainIthoughtaboutyoueverydayIdreamedofyouIcantbelieveitsyouYoulook amazingYoulookbeautifulIwanttokillyouandeatyouupcompletelyliterally, uh, gah!_" he blurts out words at the speed of light, not sure if even _he_ is catching what he is actuallysaying.

Then he stops, cocks his head and returns to his open-close mouth ritual.

Naomi frowns. I stare.

I think he is broken.

"I figured you would be here when I heard they hired the famous buffet from the mysterious Ryuuzaki Rue." She continues, sighing again, bringing her hand to her temples, like she was starting to have the beginning of a headache, "The design of the sardine sandwiches gave it away too; I would recognize it anywhere."

She closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, her gaze lazily shifts between the man named Beyond and myself.

"You two know each other?"

I snap out of my confusion and quickly begin to clear any misunderstanding of an outrageous association with this freak.

"_No_, I-"

"I can _definitely_ assure you that they don't." A monotonous voice coming from behind Naomi cuts me off.

And _there _it is, _L_; indubitably himself in his finest, long sleeved shirt, baggy jeans and horrendous blazer; the same clothes from two months ago. He has his hands in his pockets and the same hunched posture that disgusted me so much back then.

I wish I could say that I'm unaffected by his presence. That it doesn't matter if he had seen me at a most embarrassing situation. That it doesn't matter if he had seen me distressed, at ease, _weak, _and that I _actually _had to plead for hs help and _thanked _him afterwards.

I wish I could say it _really_ doesn't matter.

I can't.

Loathe at first sight is hard to council.

He makes his way towards us, entering the room from the opposite side we are standing, and I can see there is someone following him, babbling to him and, from the look on L's face, making him incredibly bored.

I see red hair, a cigarette, and I _know_ it's Matt: finally deciding to show himself.

I don't know if I should get mad and yell at him for making us late or stay quiet and delightfully watch one of the worst brats in the world get the better of L.

…I decide for the later.

"And I was wondering, Ryuuzaki, why there is so much _fuss_ about _Game of Thrones_—"

"Jeevas-san,"

" I mean, ok, there is a lot of pointless nudity, gory deaths, a huge amount of blood, immoral and disturbing values, vengeful chicks, more blood-"

"Jeevas-san,"

"-but _hey_! That's what makes a good show. Don't get me wrong, I _like_ it and all. It's good- "

"Jeevas-san,"

"But to _actually_ make _a game_ out of it? Seriously, I don't know what _Tell Tale Series_ was _thinking_ when they picked up the project-"

"Jeevas-san,"

"I mean, _The Wolf Among Us_ and _Tales of Borderland_ were _so good_! Like, _whoa_! I spent _days_ without sleep just playing through the damn things-"

"Jeev-"

"-The plot was so good and the characters were outstanding. I can't _wait _to play the second season from _The Wolf Among Us; _the ending just _killed _me. I doubt this _Game of Thrones_ wannabe game will even reach its feet. And, oh, you know, you can call me Matt-"

L sighs heavily.

"_Jeevas-san,_"

"Hey buddy, I said you could call me Mat- Oh, _Light!_ I didn't notice _you_! Hi, there!" Matt waves at me cheerfully.

I return it in the same enthusiastic way.

"_Hello, Matt!_"

L shoots me a cold look, his eyes sharpened into two tiny lines.

I smirk at him.

"_Ryuuzaki!_ I was just waiting for you to show up." Naomi turns around to face him, her voice merry, like she has just encountered an old friend.

His face softens at the sight of her.

"How do you do, Misora-san? It sure has been a long time." He becomes serene, his voice tinged with an unusual fondness when it is directed at Naomi.

What is going on?

"Wait, do _you _know _each other_?"

"Of course we know each other; Misora-san and I are old pals." L calmly states

"-but answering your previous inquiry, Misora-san, it's not Beyond and this young gentleman who are the acquaintances here. I'm the one at fault."

L locks his black pit eyes with mine, his stare unwavering as he speaks.

He brings his thumb to his lips and grins that stupid, creepy grin of his.

"Well, _hello Light-kun,_" he says my name in that phony, ridiculous way he took a likeness of using.

At the sound of it, Matt sonorously laughs from behind L. Naomi lifts an eyebrow and the aforementioned Beyond is still the frozen robot.

My left eye twitches.

I guess I'm not going to make it to _anywhere_, _any_time soon.

**xxx**

_Notes:_

_¹ This is actually from Batman; it's Joker's philosophy. I thought it extremely fitted Beyond._

_² The name 'Naomi' means the 'the most beautiful'._


	3. Act II: Remember?

**_N/A_**_: I'm so sorry for the delay! I was stuck with some things in my personal life and just, blergh -_-' . Next chapter will come out sooner! I'll try to update every Wednesday from now on, so… keep track!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_Slash, L x Light, side pairings lots of OOC-ness),bad jokes. I don't own Death Note, never will and a late happy birthday to Light Yagami._

**_Story edited by:_**_The wonderful_**_shewhowasnamedanyway._**

_Hate, like, love – tear me apart!_

_~ Have fun!_

_J.J_

**xxx**

_Ah, how we laughed! Ah, how we cried!  
Ah, how you promised, and ah, how I lied._

**xxx**

"_Oh god_, that _never_ ceases to get me. It's too good for jokes" Matt says between laughs, trying to catch his breath. "Have you ever asked him yet to turn off the _light_, Ryuuzaki? Never gets old. And _the face_ he made when you said his name, that was-"

I shoot Matt a murderous glare.

He clears his throat.

"Uh, all right, sorry."

"Don't be, Jeevas-san. Even though I don't knowledge _why_ you would be laughing at the _simple mentioning_ of Light-kun's name, though I'm definitely aware of my marvelous sense of humor. You wouldn't stand a chance," L deadpans.

I shift my glare to L, squirming my eyes at him. A nasty pain is beginning to tickle down my temples

"_Ha ha,_ you sure have, _Ryuuzaki._" I say not even trying to hide my annoyance. L tediously stares at me.

"I don't know why you seem so worked up, Light-kun. It's your name after all; I didn't mean to _mock you_ or anything."

_So why'd you say it like you wanted to_ I want to tell him, but Naomi speaks to me before I have time to muster anything.

"Were you a friend of Sunohara, Light?"

"Actually, he was one of my clients..."

"Oh, right. I think everyone here is related to him by business; guess, I'm the only one who would take a flight to Japan just to attend the funeral of my old college friend's husband." She muses, and I want to tell her that _yes, _that means that she belongs to the rare group of specimens that _still _have good manners.

"But, Sunohara was your _client_, huh? How fancy! I keep forgetting that you've become one of the most successful lawyers in Japan." She continues, smiling at me "Your father told me all about it. He is really proud of you."

I wouldn't say he is actually _**proud **_about it but… "Wait, you're still talking to my father?"

"Of course! I may not be related to the police anymore, but we didn't lose contact. Didn't he tell you?"

I shake my head, surprised he didn't tell me indeed. I wonder why he would conceal something like this. He knows I've always cared for Naomi. I've always wanted to know what happened to her after she married the FBI agent Raye Penber. I could never make it to the wedding so, for me, after her departure to New York, Naomi (not _Misora _anymore, I have to always remind myself of that) Penber's whereabouts had been a mystery to me.

Until today.

Why dad would have such secrecy about Naomi?

"I guess not…" I answer, mulling about it

"Well, you know how Chief Yagami is: there is always something occupying his mind. Job related, principally. Your father is such a busy man, no wonder he forgot to tell you about my minor interactions with him"

"That's not it –"

"So, I presume Misora-san is too an old acquaintance of Light-kun?" L interrupts me. I glare at him and then I notice that he too calls Naomi "Misora-san" and not "Penber-san".

I'm pretty sure that, if L and Naomi are such the old pals L promptly affirms, he too would be aware of the obsoleteness on the use of her maiden name. Has he, like me, known her for so long that he is still familiar with the old surname; the idea that she's actually married still not sinking even after all those years?

"_Old_? I've known him since he was a little kid and I was an aspiring law student. I've only had a career to talk about thanks to Soichiro Yagami. The support Light's father gave to my studies was invaluable."

"That _sure _is interesting" L grins, enthralled. He sucks his horrid thumb in wonder while he gazes at me.

Creepy bastard, keep your freaky, hateful face out of my sight, would you?

_I would __**pleasantly**__ do that for you,_ the voice in my head purrs. I do my best to shake it away.

Oh dear, did I bring my medicine?

"– I used to frequent the Yagami household a lot back then and even when I finished college and became a police investigator. We would go to dinner together, parties… _Oh Light_, do you remember the summer in that old desert beach house?" Naomi turns to me dreamily, memories of a happy time flowing within her eyes, "I was so unsure at the time if I should accept your mother's invitation to spend the vacation with your family but now I'm glad I said yes. What a wonderful time we had!"

I smile at her reminiscences, recalling my foolish and naïve fifteen year old self totally fascinated with the extraordinary young woman that had joined in on my family's tedious holidays.

"Of course, I do. I can't forget that nonsense tenor singing on a boat."

"_Oh dear_! I remember _that_! _Where _did he come from _anyway_?"

"That remains unexplained."

"What about Sayu's sunburns? Poor girl, couldn't touch anything for a week."

"I told her she would regret it deeply not using sun block. And do you think that silly girl listened to me?"

"I imagined she wouldn't," Naomi laughs and it's such a pleasant sound that I let myself be lost on the moment.

…Until I feel a dirty glare in my direction and I _just know_ it's from Beyond. Without even moving, I think the guy is shooting lasers from his eyeballs and mentally making me Swiss cheese.

I clear my throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"Oh" Naomi continues as her laughing gradually ceases "Those were nice times. I miss them."

"I miss them too, Naomi-san"

She nods at me cheerfully, but I feel like something has clouded her eyes, because her voice seems distant when she speaks again.

"Yes… It's a pity that things didn't stay the same. After I moved, I …I guess things weren't the same…" she pauses for a few moments and I can see a tinge of sadness in her face as the cloud in her eyes reaches her mind, bringing in something she probably didn't want to remember.

"Yes," I say, unsure how I should behave towards her sudden mood shift "Hum… how is Penber–san? Is he here…?"

But she ignores me, still lost in her own thoughts. She gives discreetly a shake of the head and continues talking like if I've never asked anything "… Anyway, I'm curious now about you two." She points at me and L, changing the subject of the conversation to us.

"So you two have already met. What a small world! Can I ask where?"

"_Wait wait_! First things first! I know you and Light seem to be the best of buddies in the world, _and I wonder why he hasn't told anything about a woman like __**you**_**,** but I don't think we have been introduced yet." says Matt, already moving to stand up in front of Naomi.

He takes her hand in his and starts shaking it excitedly.

Next to me, I feel the wicked aura coming from Beyond gradually relocating to Matt, as the L look-alike stares daggers at my red-headed companion.

"_How do you do_? I'm Mail Jeevas, _Yagami &amp; Takada_ private investigator-"

"_Office boy,_" I correct him.

"-And part time counselor"

"_Assistant,_" but Matt doesn't even have the nerve to turn his back to me. He is all grins and sweets for Naomi.

She looks back at him, her eyes darting up and down upon him, and -

Turns to L and me, dismissing Matt's hand; crudely ignoring him.

"So?"

Matt pouts, making a hurt look. Beyond hasn't moved yet, but his lips have curved into an almost unnoticeable smirk.

"My first encounter with Light-kun occurred at a wedding." L states before I can. He gives me a fond look that it is so bluntly _fake_ that it makes me want to offer him some acting lessons.

"He and his lovely companion were formally introduced to me by my former client. The groom had hired my services to provide for his wedding day the most delightful and exquisite culinary treats he shall ever taste in his life."

Naomi smiles at him, joyful, completely unaffected by the bastard's arrogance as he babbles about himself.

"I'm sure it was a remarkable experience, Ryuuzaki. I still have not tasted anything like those chocolate tarts you prepared for my wedding"

_What? __**L **__did Naomi's wedding buffet?_ I turn to him in shock, eyebrows raised and inquiring.

Next to me, Beyond moves, likely the mention of Naomi's wedding had stirred something inside him. He's not anymore the frozen robot; he's walking and slowly taking in his surroundings, gradually recollecting himself from any initial shock and preparing himself to strike at any moment.

Or so it seems, as I cast a quick glance at him while I silently confront L, demanding explanations.

L ignores me completely, still addressing Naomi.

"Certainly, you haven't. That's completely normal; even those who don't belong to the brightest kind would become an absolute disgrace to humanity if they didn't acknowledge the extraordinary quality of my buffet." He continues monotonously and I just feel the urge to tear apart the snob look on his face.

Thank god I didn't go to her wedding. It saved me years from meeting this freak.

A pity it didn't save me _more._

"_Woah_, you _sure_ are a humble guy, Ryuuzaki" Matt interferes, raising eyebrows "I've never found someone who could compete with Light's ego-"

"_Everything_ was _flawless_, Ryuuzaki. Exceptional, really," I say finally catching L's attention. He looks at me, noticing that, despite the compliments, I'm still unimpressed by him, (_And I think you're just an arrogant creepy bastard and you should strangle yourself with a toy serpent and die a horrible death_) lifting my chin up and eyeing him, daring.

"You sure have all the right to boost about your success."

"Yes, I think _exactly _the same thing." He responds coolly, those black pit orbs accepting the challenge I presented.

I feel a sudden chill running down my spine; the voice in my head is getting more and more excited.

_This guy…_

"But tell me Light-kun, I _deeply _want to know how Ryuk_-san_ is doing. He didn't seem so… uh, _well _at the end of our interaction" L cocks his head, bringing his thumb to his lips "Did he come with you here?"

"Ryuk is fine and well. He didn't come because there was no need to_. Thank you for your concern._" I reply, coldly "I came with other company"

"_Oh_, I see-" his eyes landing on Matt. "You sure have a _peculiar_ taste for company."

"_You have no idea._" I say, almost involuntary.

Matt gives L a dirty look.

"_Hey_, I don't know _why_, but I feel like I should take this as an offense-"

"_Ryuk_." Naomi cuts in, surprised with the mention of the name "_Good Gracious_. I remember when I couldn't enter any court session without his name being said here and there. Now it has been _years_ since I last heard it. How is he doing? Still the same big shark DA?"

"Pretty much." I change to a softer tone when I speak to Naomi "He is one who doesn't change."

"Oh, _I know_ – and I figure he is still married to Rem?"

I honestly don't know how to respond to this.

"_Well_-"

Naomi laughs.

"By the look on your face, they are _fine_. Still the same up and down, on and off type of couple, huh? Oh _funny times_ were those. What Ryuk's been up to this time, if I may ask?"

"To do a quick sum up, they quarreled about groceries-"

"Groceries?" L inquires, eyebrows raised.

"Ye_s, and _Rem got angry with something and volunteered herself to deal with a client in Germany. She's been there for two months already. She calls now and then but won't speak to Ryuk. He is-"

"They did all this show over _groceries_?"

"_Yes"_ I say, annoyed by L's constant interruptions. I turn back to Naomi "And now Ryuk is–"

"_Over groceries_" he emphases

"_Yes_"

He bites his thumb, amused. "How curious,"

"If you think so" I glare at him. "Anyway, as I was _trying _to say, _Ryuk_ is –"

"Emotionally unbalanced by the whole situation?" L completes, gazing curiously at me.

I roll my eyes at him.

"_Oh, so you say_."

Naomi gives L a confused look, who shrugs his shoulders and give her a little smirk.

"I had the pleasure to personally testify his state of mind. Poor Ryuk-san. Please, send him my condolences, Light-kun."

"_Woah_, wait a minute it's not like he's _dead _or anything and Rem is coming back next week-" Matt starts but Naomi cuts him. _Again._

I guess she can't stand his voice.

"Oh, he'll be alright. He'll get lovesick and crawl back to Rem in no time. If he hasn't already done that. Rem too will be back soon. She likes that man as much as she supposedly despises him. She just likes playing tough."

_"You seem to have a lot of experience in the matter, Misora-__**san.**__" _

We stop dead at the sound of Beyond finally speaking, his voice low and surprisingly clear.

And then he _does _strike.

His manners now calm and collected, though a slight tinge in his voice gives him away, showing excitement that completely ruins the image of the emotionless persona he is trying to pass. There is a nastiness in his words, something sibilating, like a snake taunting its prey to taste the forbidden fruit. The disbelief in his eyes caused by the sight of Naomi is now completely gone and now he watches her with glowing scarlet-toned eyes, curious and famished.

He looks at her as if she is some kind of a prize he ought to have-

-And have he will

Naomi's eyes harden as she stares back at him, no signs of hesitance in her posture.

"I guess I have," her voice is cold as ice.

Beyond nods slowly, careful; unmoving pupils sinking into Naomi's.

"_Yes_. But by the absence of a ring on your finger, I guess this experience is in the _past tense_."

That's it. He just casually dropped a bomb and is merrily waiting for it to blow. I can see his lips itching to curve into a devious smile.

When I see Naomi's eyes squirming at him, I know he arrived exactly where he wanted to.

The snake is waiting for Eve to take the first bite.

I turn to Beyond, my initial surprise of hearing him speak after a long time being replaced by a shocked disbelief on his ill manners. Really, how does he dare inferring that Naomi isn't marr-

That's when the knowledge sinks in. The reason why L kept referring to Naomi by her maiden name. The reason why she would avoid talking about Raye.

I look at Naomi's hand and there is indeed not a sight of a ring.

How did I not notice that? My eyes dart back to Naomi, confused. When did it happened?

"You guess right," Naomi interrupts my thoughts, her voice still ice cold.

"You-" I start.

"Raye and I are not together anymore. It's been 5 years since we divorced." Naomi continues, her voice crystal clear.

We all fall silent with the statement.

I look at her, trying to find the right words to say.

"I'm… sorry. I didn't know…"

"That's ok. It's not like it's a secret or anything."

"But it is _indeed _a careful matter." L mused aloud, sending Beyond a dirty glare. "I think Misora-san would be much more comfortable if we changed the topic of the conversation." He too seemed displeased with Beyond's indecorous attitude.

The said man just chuckled, his shoulders shaking.

"We shouldn't discuss this here."

_"Well,_ what _you_ suggest we discuss?" Beyond spat back, his eyes darting to L.

L holds his gaze, posing himself straight for the first time since I've met him. His height is clearly impressive when he isn't hunched, easily passing Beyond's, who too has straighten himself.

L eyes Beyond in an imposing way, almost dictatorial. He knows he can overpower Beyond, and he will not save efforts to do so.

"I _suggest _we discuss your departure from this room, Beyond."

"Ryuuzaki, please. It's ok-" Naomi starts but Beyond interferes before she can finish. He looks back at L with defiance, showing that he would not bend to him anytime soon.

The room has suddenly become very small and I wonder how the other guests can't feel the _murderous_ tension in the air.

"_Yes_–" Beyond says, his eyes glowing with menacing "-it's ok, _Ryuuzaki_. We _all_ know each other here–"

"_Actually,_ I don't-" Matt begins.

"We are _all_ friends, _right_? I mean we are _so close_, that _I_ even _organized _your wedding buffet, Misora_-san_-"

"_Ryuuzak_i did it-"

"_Oh! Really_, Misora-_san_? _Ryuuzaki _was the one who _organized_ it?"

"_Of course I did_ after you _pretentiously_ tried to ruin it -"

"_Ok,_ we are set _then. Ryuuzaki_ was the man behind it _all_. Wonderful work, _really._" Beyond hisses, dark and dangerous. "A _pity_ that all that _marvelous_, _stupendous_ work he _so _fawns about was _totally _taken for granted, _don't you think_? You should had put a higher cost to your services, Ryuuzaki. After all the _whole main arrangement_. Didn't_**. Last."**_

Now that was too much.

_"Beyond!"_

_"How dare you, you -"_

_"WOAH!"_ L, my and Matt's voice tangled up in different tones and words but we express in unison our astonishment at the insolent man.

But he doesn't seem to listen and neither does Naomi; they are trapped in a unique world composed only by the two of them.

Naomi's demeanor hasn't change. She is inalterable by whatever Beyond has thrown at her. She seems to be familiar with the dance and is anything but scared of her opponent.

She is prepared for whatever may come her way.

And by Beyond's face, I'm sure he wants to test all her limits.

"What happened between you two?" he asks, his tone as sharp as knife

"We didn't see eye to eye on some things."

"_Didn't see eye to eye on some things_? Oh, _don't tell me_! I know _exactly_ how it feels."

"You do? What a wonder. That saves me any explanations."

"Oh no, _please_. Care to _clarify._"

"It doesn't matter. The past is the past and I moved on."

"But _I don't believe that_. And I know you really haven't, Misora-_san_. I _know_ what you are searching for _to see eye to eye with_."

"And how could you _possibly_ know, Beyond?" Naomi inquires stoical. Her eyes seems deadly.

"_Because_ I know _you_. I know _you_ for what you really _are._ You are the _real_ thing, _Naomi._ _You are real._" He rolls the words of his tongue like they have some kind of taste. "Your little husband couldn't see that, he never would. But _I did."_

"I'm flattered. It's good to know I have an existence of sorts to you and how you are_, oh, so much better than Raye."_

"That's enough, Beyond." L's voice is low and threatening. In another situation the tone would have surprised me, but I actually feel myself in a similar mood.

The voice inside in my head is whispering madly (_Hurt him hurt him) _and the pain is back, no longer unnoticeable.

But Beyond doesn't stop and instead, turns sharply to me, eyes piercing.

"_You,_" he sibilates, and I think he is recalling my previously friendly _tetê-à-tetê_ with Naomi, because it seems he wants to kill me just from standing in front of her. "_You, pretty boy_. What's the kind of relationship you have with Misora-_san_?"

"Beyond, leave him alone. He's just an old friend. He has nothing to with this."

"_I _want to _know_. Because _you see_-" he pauses, eyes darting from me to Naomi and back again "_Naomi Misora_ _doesn't_ have _friends._ I truly found the conversation between you two very lovely and moving, and _oh beautiful_. But _I know_ it's just _an act_, because-"

_"Beyond-"_

"Because that's what _she _**does**. She's a natural actress; she _doesn't have friends_, because she just can't see a friend. _Even. When. It's. Right .__**In .Front. Of .Her**_!" And that's when a good amount of wine splashes on him. Right into his face.

Time freezes as the whole room stops its trivial matters to stare at us. The guests, waiters, familiars; they all turn to watch the mini soap opera unfolding a few meters away. L, Matt and myself are no exceptions. Eyes widen, we stare dumbfounded at the wine-soaked Beyond. The dark haired man has a similar expression upon his face, almost as if he went back to his statue state, mouth a gap, eyes impossible huge bearing disbelief as he stares speechless at Naomi.

She had picked the drink from a passing waiter before someone could have notice.

"All right, gentleman," she says, her face hard and eyes dangerously emotionless. She is still holding the empty glass in her hands, some remains of the liquid staining her hand with dark red droplets. Bits of her hair had fallen upon her face that, instead of giving her a disheveled look, hugely praised her face in an image of cold and controlled fury.

"I think that's all for tonight." She adds, didn't even bother to give us a last look as she turned around and left the room with steady, firm steps; her high hills clicking accordingly to the pace.

We stay in silence for a few more moments, watching Naomi disappear among the crowd. The random views of our little spectacle seemed to lose interest in the scene, figuring out that it was probably another ordinary lover's quarrel and now are going back to their mindless chatting and non-stop pig out with the buffet threats.

"_Woah,,_" Matt utters, breaking the silence with one of his many words for exclamations "That sure was better than Game of Thrones. _So much tension_. Hey, can I sell this for Tell Tale games?" He motions at the mess of wine on the carpet and at Beyond who is looking exactly like an underweight, wet, and homeless dog.

"Shut up, Matt," I say, giving Beyond a harsh look. "I hope you got what you deserved."

But the man is totally aloof to my words. He has a strange lost look on his face that _does _make him look like a miserable, creepy puppy and blinking nonstop, like he has just woken up from a really bad dream. If I didn't know better, I would certainly say that he has just entered a paranoid state of mind, where he can't be still, eyes darting at every direction desperately and, I must say, even afraid.

He turns to L and grabs his arm, almost clinging to it. Beyond brings his thumb to his lips, mimicking the other man's fashion, though h bites so hard into the thin skin that it is enough to draw blood.

_"What've I done?" _

Yes. He is indeed _desperate. _I shake my head; this guy really doesn't exist.

The grip he has on L's arm is so strong that at some point I think his nails will pierce through the white fabric of the sleeves, making holes until they find their way to L's pale skin.

L stares back at Beyond in a mixture of blank amusement and annoyance, like a parent who has to deal with the endless attempts of forgiveness of his own child after the said one had been scolded for something he shouldn't have done. His eyes were as sharp as Beyond's nails enclosing upon his arms.

"What did you do?" L speaks in a casual tone devoid of any possible emotion. He slowly releases himself from Beyond's grip to place his once imprisoned arm on the other man's shoulder, slightly pushing him away in an imposing, firm gesture.

"I honestly _can't _figure out what you _thought _you could _possibly_ do. But now that the damage is already done-" L continues but he is lowering his head while he speaks, so he is close enough to Beyond for only him to hear, making his voice inaudible for Matt and I. Beyond reciprocates the motion, his head now almost touching L's as he listens attentively to whatever the man is saying. He is still chewing on part the thumb with his teeth.

I'm not interested in what they might be conspiring about, so I turn myself away from them. I already had too much of freak shows for tonight. The least I want to happen is for me to join them in their madness, my head screaming with menacing thoughts about slicing the two men in front of me into pieces and feed their body parts to dogs. I reach for the tube of little pills I have in my pocket and swallow one dry. I've been trying to avoid taking them all night, but the recent events haven't been cooperative enough for me to maintain my sanity and well-being. I take a deep breath and cool myself to think straight. The effect is almost instantaneous

Feeling better, I spend a few seconds debating if I should follow Naomi or not, but I choose for the last option. I can reach her later, things being smoother now that I know she is in Japan. I can't deny that I want to see her again but she probably wants to be alone after the previously events. I would be more of annoyance than a help and… _oh well,_ I think as I look at my watch; I'm already way beyond late. Even if I had some kind of speed superpower, I would probably just make in it time for the end of the first act.

It would be a lot easier if I could just throw my hands in the air and give it all up. It would be and _that's _what I want. But I have reasons and if I want my plan to continue flawlessly, I'll have to reach the theater in less than half an hour.

There is someone I need to charm. _Again._

I turn to Matt, who is still idiot staring at L and Beyond's eternally secret chit chat

"Let's go, Matt. Let's get out of here"

"_Man,_ don't they look like evil twins conspiring a master plan? Really, _odd."_

"Did you hear what I said, Matt? We need to go. We've already lost too much time. "

"Hum, right? _Rocky Horror Show_, hum? Well, I'm not going… _oh my god_, someone stop that Beyond guy, he will probably bleed his whole hand out if he continue to bite his finger."

"Wait -_what_?"

"I said that the guy is going to lose his finger"

"_No_, not that-" I shake my head. I can't believe what he is saying. "_You said you aren't going_?"

"Yeah, that's it." He says casually, still watching the "_evil twins'" _interaction. "Hey, who do you think would win in a fight?"

I almost think I'm in combustion as I feel something inside me exploding and engulfing everything in furious flames.

I roughly grab Matt arm. He flinches in pain.

"_Ouch! That hurts_! And watch out for the suit, it costs me two months' salary!"

"_I can't believe you-"_

"What can't you believe, Light-kun?" L interrupts me, casually approaching us. I glare angrily at him and see that Beyond is nowhere to be seen. The guy just disappeared.

Good. One freak down. Now I just have to stab one with a knife and drug the other to take him with me.

L tilts his head to the side as he stares at my annoyed expression.

"Pardon me, but am I interrupting some personal matter? Do you need some space?"

"_Yes, please_-"

"Of course not, Ryuuzaki!" Matt cuts me off, freeing himself from my grip. I shift my glare to him but he totally ignores it, his sight casted past L's shoulder. "Where did the Beyond guy go?"

"I instructed Beyond to attend to some pressing business that needed attention."

"Oh, right. That guy has some serious personality problems. _What a show_ he put on. Is he bipolar or something?"

"Does it concern you that my employee might have some personality issues?"

"_Well, no-"_

"Then don't ask," L states flatly.

"Hm, ok" Matt quieted himself. I sigh and try to cool myself.

"_Everything _has been really _entertaining _Ryuuzaki, but you see, we too have some _pressing business _to attend to."

L looks at the strong grip I have on Matt's shoulder.

"You two have some place to go?"

"_Yes, that's what I said-"_

"_No, we don't_" Matt spats back, diverting again from my grip. "I'm serious, I don't want to go anymore. There is a cutie here I saw early and I'm not leaving until I get her number."

"Matt, you cannot _not_ go. Amane already paid for our tickets. Mello, Near and Halle are waiting for us in the main room"

"Well, you can go without me. It's not like Amane would burst out into tears and die because I didn't go. Anyway, they have already gone without you."

I blink in confusion.

_"What-?"_

"Did you really think _Mello _would wait for us? And _Near_? Oh, please." Matt rolls his eyes at me.

"You're lying. They didn't leave. They wouldn't. And fuck the cutie, you want Mello.He wouldn't leave without you. "

"_What the hell?_ _I don't want Mihael_ and _of course_ that narcissistic blond would leave me without a second thought –"

"The joke is running out of fun, Matt –"

"He is not joking. It's true." a voice says from behind me. I turn around to see Kiyomi and Mikami approaching us. They are now looking a lot more like a couple since they can't hide from me the truth about their relationship. The ring on Kiyomi's hand is more blunt than ever up close.

She lifts an eyebrow and hands me a piece of paper.

"Dynamic duo and Kill Bill just stormed out of the manor. We had spotted them when they left the clinging widow to the rest of her familiars. Here, Nate even left a note."

I take the note she extends to me. All I see are a bunch of ugly scribbles.

" I don't understand shit here,"

"Neither did I. It's Nate's handwriting; what did you expect?"

Mikami drinks the last remains of his glass as he joins our conversation, squirming his eyes to the note.

"He says, _'Leaving. Took your car. See you later.'_"

"Oh Teru, how can you read this?"

"I don't know if you are aware, Mail, but I've been dealing with Nate's catastrophic handwriting for years. He insists on making handmade deals with me every time we are together at some case. It's a _nightmare_."

Kiyomi puts a sympathetic hand on Mikami's arm. "I know exactly how you feel. He was my personal intern once. I almost obligated him to take calligraphic lessons, but the cost of them was so high that I gave up."

Kiyomi and money. Best friends forever.

I crush the note in my hand, furious. _The brats left without me and took my car too_?

…Oh, why I am so surprised? That's expected.

I sigh.

"Now what am I going to do?"

"Well, since I've come with my motorbike, I think I can lend it to you-"

"Mikami, did you bring your car?"

Mikami shakes his head

"I'm sorry Yagami, Takada-san and I came by taxi."

"_Hey,_ there is my motorbike-"

"And the taxis are really bothersome to catch here," says Kiyomi, "It will only delay you more."

"Do you think someone could give me a ride?"

"_I said there is_-"

"Not sure. Most of the guests are staying for the night, the rooms have been all prepared and such."

"Damn it," I curse.

"Why don't you-?"

"HEY, HELLO THERE, I'M HERE" Matt shouts. We all jump with his sudden outburst. He clears his throat

"You can use my motorbike, Light."

"Matt, I don't know how to use it."

"Then find someone who can-" he turns abruptly to L. "Do you know how to ride a motorcycle, Ryuuzaki?"

I have totally forgotten L, who had been silently watching our conversation, clearly amused by any situation that can put me ill at ease.

L's expression changes to a thoughtful one.

"Actually, I do know,"

"Great. Then we'll kill two birds with one stone. Ryuuzaki will go with you, Light!"

I'm completely dumbstruck by this.

_"What you're talking about?"_

"I as well don't think that is a good idea, Jeevas-san. I know Light-kun would just love it if I accompanied him on the theater-" L begins.

"_Why would I on earth-" _

"_Since_ he _said _and I _quote_, '_I hope we can meet again,_' at our last encounter."

_Don't you know about basic social manners?_ I clinch my teeth "_Well, _we have already met _again._ I think _that's enough_ for the time-"

"_But _as much as I know my absence would displease him very much, I still have a buffet to supervise here."

Kiyomi has her eyes wide in surprise as she turns to L

"_Ryuuzaki? You're Ryuuzaki Rue?"_

"_In person_, how do you do?" L flatly answers Kiyomi, turning to address her.

She is completely delighted.

"Oh, I'm a huge fan of your work! I can't believe it's really _you_!"

"Well, thank you. It's really pleasant to receive a compliment from such a beautiful young lady."

"_Oh my, please_-"

"_You see_? Even Kiyomi likes him, Light. You two should totally go together!" Matt says cheerfully.

"It's an honor to meet you, Ryuuzaki-san. I've only heard excellent things about you." Mikami bows to L, respectful.

L shakes his hand dismissively, but the egocentric bastard is probably enjoying this too much.

"Please, you can call me Ryuuzaki; no need for all the formality."

"_Oh no, Ryuuzaki-san_! Of course there is need! You see, I-" Kiyomi starts but a waiter who has just approached L interrupts her, stealing his attention.

"I'm sorry sir, but Watari-san has a message for you concerning the preparations for your birthday party tonight. Allister-san has al-" the waiter shuts up after receiving a harsh look from L who looks clearly displeased by the contents of whatever his subordinate started to inform.

I cock my head in wonder, my anger lowering at the amusing information the servant let slip. Did I hear right or…?

"Oh my god, is it really your birthday?" Matt clasps his hand in glee.

L rolls his eyes, sighing. No use hiding anymore.

"Yes, it is."

"Cool, dude! Congratulations!" Matt merrily pats L's back.

Kiyomi and Mikami join the compliments.

"Oh, happy birthday, Ryuuzaki-san!"

"Congratulations, Ryuuzaki-san!"

"_Yes, yes_; Cheers for me," L deadpans, shaking his hands in a monotonous festive manner.

I can't help but think that is extremely fit that the guy anniversary is on a Halloween. I smirk at the irony; L does belong to the freak ones.

"Happy anniversary, L Lawliet," I say low enough that only him can hear me. I lock eyes with him and say his name in the same, mocking fashion as he uses mine. He eyes me back with a cold fury I can't get enough of. Any emotion I can tear off of him it's a rare, exotic pleasure that I've not tasted for a long, long time.

"Can I ask you how many years?" I inquire innocently.

"No you can't," he says, but as soon as he gives me his short, cold answer, something passes his mind and his eyes lighten with a sudden idea. He turns to the waiter.

"Please, inform Watari-san I won't attend to the birthday party."

"But, sir, the arrangements–" the waiter begins again with his desperate attempts to be heard by his boss.

"Because–" L cuts the poor man, pointing one finger to me. He grins in a sneaky way and I feel an ominous shiver down my spine.

I don't like this.

"Because I will be spending the night of my anniversary going to the theater with my good friend, _Light-kun,_" and, to make a decisive point, he grabs my arm, his fingers clawing like spiders at the fabric of my suit. He smiles at me in a love struck, happy fashion but his eyes are sparkling with menace.

_Now, now, Light-kun, where should you run to?_

I feel like tearing out every strand of my hair.


End file.
